Sunday, November 7, 2010

A lesbian MEP for the West Midlands claims that UKIP discriminated against her on the grounds of her sexual orientation.

Nikki Sinclaire was elected as a UKIP MEP last year but fell out with the party in January when she refused to sit with its EFD allies in the European Parliament.She said that some EFD members had “extremist views” and that her relationship with the then party leader, Nigel Farage, had broken down.

Ms Sinclaire became an independent after the party told her she could not stand for re-election under its banner.

She is now taking UKIP to the High Court for withdrawing the whip from her and preventing her from from standing as the MP for Meriden, which she claims was motivated by sexual orientation discrimination.

She is also taking the party to an employment tribunal.

According to the Birmingham Mail, Ms Sinclaire said: “I think that is homophobic in itself, the fact that they expected me to sit next to such people and engage with such people in the parliament, while taking a holier-than-thou attitude to parties like the BNP in the UK.

“It is unacceptable in the 21st century for people to be marginalised and treated in an offensive and derogatory way on the grounds of their sexuality.”

A UKIP spokesman said it was innapropriate for the party to comment at this stage.